Yes, the Lady Has a Past

With the country recovering from the depression of ’93 and prosperity returning to Boulder, Benjamin Nelson sold his house at 1937 Spruce for $2200. His $300 property investment provided him a whopping 600% profit! Not bad for a four-year investment! How well would the next owner fair? The buyer, Mollie G. Whiteley, would own the home until her death in 1936.

Mollie was the second wife of powerful Boulder lawyer, Richard H. Whiteley. Richard’s divorce from Margaret Devine Whiteley, his wife of 33 years on August 12, 1884 stunned the people of Boulder. Even more shocking was his marriage to Mary Strickland (aka Mollie) within two hours of the divorce. Here is an account of what precipitated the divorce as published in A Scalawag in Georgia: Richard Whiteley and the Politics of Reconstruction by William Warren Rogers:

“With cause, Margaret suspected (or knew) that her husband was involved in a relationship with Mollie Strickland, a local woman. On the evening of July 15, 1884, finding the two walking together, Margaret approached them. Whiteley knocked her down, and when she got up, struck her to the ground again. Some witnessed the altercation, and the incident became the object of considerable gossip.”

Richard and Mollie were married by a justice of the peace because no local clergymen would agree to perform the ceremony. Mollie, the 21-year old daughter of a miner, was 33 years younger than Richard and there is evidence indicating she was a prostitute. The community was so outraged that, fearing violence against Whiteley, the sheriff and several policemen were called in to provide protection to the couple.

What a fiery start to this young woman’s life.

Location, location, location

Pine Street School 1900
(from Whittier International School website)

It was a prime location for a home site – particularly for a family with children. Opened in 1882, Pine Street School (renamed Whittier Elementary School in 1903) is located just across the street.

Was Benjamin Nelson a family man or a speculator who considered the property an investment? On the day that he purchased the property, he took out a loan against it. I don’t believe it was to be used to finance construction of the house, but rather to invest in mining technology developed by Bertrand C. Hinman. Hinman graduated from Columbia University in 1892 and was awarded several patents related to geology and mining between 1892 – 1897. In an article published in the Jefferson County Journal, Adams, New York, January 28, 1896, Hinman is clearly attempting to generate interest in new methods of mining “that may revolutionize the present plans of separation of gold from the rock.”

Nelson used his property at 1937 Spruce Street again in 1896 as security “To secure Nancy J. Gooding for $750 at 8% payable semiannually. Acting Sheriff of Boulder County successor in trust.” The questions remain, ‘Who was Benjamin Nelson and what was his relationship to Nancy J. Gooding?”

Shingles in a modified sawtooth pattern

Full entablature window casing surrounds

Open frieze work along the porch

Clearly, Nelson was a person of some means as evidenced by the level of detail lavished on the house. The unusually ornate architectural detailing included decorative shingle work in a modified sawtooth pattern, horizontal wood clapboard siding on the top and bottom of the wall, full entablature window casing surrounds and open frieze work along the porch. Benjamin Nelson was a man of style!

Uncovering the Past

The questions have always been, ‘when was the house built and who was the first owner’? I believe the house was built in 1895.

There were two owners of record in 1895. Alec McDonald, owned the property until September 20th, at which time he sold the property to Benjamin Nelson. The same day Nelson purchased the property, he used it for security “to secure Bertrand C. Hinman for $500 for 3 years at 8% payable semiannually or to be counted as principal.”

A Denver Times newspaper dated October 10, 1895 was found during demolition affixed to the south west corner of the back porch. Does this mean that the house was erected after Nelson purchased the property? Could the foundation, framing and insulation have been completed between September 20 – October 10, 1895? If this is the case, the first owner of the house at 1937 Spruce Street would have been Benjamin Nelson.

Opportunity Knocks

The next owner of record is Stephen W. Tower, who paid just $650 and owned the land from 1874 until he sold the property to Alec McDonald the day after Christmas, 1892. It turned out to be a pretty poor investment for Tower, who had held the property for 18 years. He received only $225 from McDonald. 

Tower probably realized he was lucky to have gotten anything for the land given where the nation’s economy was headed. In 1893, the nation faced the worst economic crisis to hit the nation in its history to that point. Banks, railroads, and steel mills fell into bankruptcy – over fifteen thousand businesses closed and five hundred banks failed during the Panic of 1893. Unemployment rates soared to twenty-five percent and homelessness skyrocketed as workers were laid off and could not pay their rent or mortgages.

Denver Post July 19, 1893

It took until 1896 for the economy to begin to recover. Even though Alec McDonald may have sold the property a bit early, he made a handsome profit on his purchase. On September 20, 1895, Alec McDonald sold his property to Benjamin Nelson for $300. I know, it doesn’t sound like much but it did represent a 33% return on his investment! Alec S. McDonald would go on to become a County Commissioner from 1907 – 1913.

History Lessons

Researching the people who had a vested interest in this property has been fascinating. Deeds read like a who’s who of Colorado’s colorful pioneers. The 1870s were exciting times for Boulder with the railroad coming to town, the university opening and land being snatched up by savvy businessmen like Amos Widner. In 1871, Widner created the East Boulder Addition from land he acquired from the U.S. government in 1866.   He platted the land stretching from 18th Street on the west to 25th Street on the east and from Walnut Street on the south to Bluff Street on the north and dedicated streets and alleys to the city. Gay Spencer Allen purchased land from Widner for $1500 (a sizable sum in 1872) for what would one day be the site of our house. (It is not known if this represented payment for a single lot or multiple lots.)

Gay S. Allen, a preacher like his father, was among the first of the pioneer Methodist preachers in Colorado. He held the land for just a year before transferring it to his brother, Henly W. Allen.

Henly Allen was a physician, druggist and the former President of the Board of Education of Boulder. In a 1904 article published in Colorado Medicine, Henly tells of traveling overland by wagon train from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Denver in November, 1864. He camped in Council Bluffs for 2 months awaiting permission from the military to continue and describes atrocities committed by hostile Indians and the state of terror that existed west of the Missouri river during this period. (link to article)

It’s a fascinating article worth reading. I love his thoughts on life: “It was necessary to success then, as it always will be, that a man have not only brains, but sand, and sufficient initiative to carve out his own fortune without a pull.”

In the Beginning

Like the Colorado town where it has sat for over a century, this old house has a rich history. A simple house, dressed up with ornate shingle work and elaborate window surrounds, it has remained essentially unchanged since it was constructed sometime prior to 1900. A modest 926 square feet, it is considered important to the City of Boulder because it represents one of Boulder’s earliest and simplest forms of vernacular housing while being unusual with its hipped roof and fancy architectural detailing.

When we purchased the property, we were fortunate enough to inherit a wealth of historical information on the house including Abstracts of Title dating the transfer of land from the U.S. Government in 1866 to Amos Widner. A prominent Colorado pioneer, Widner was elected Sergeant-at-Arms of the first Legislative Assembly in 1862. He was the County Superintendant of Schools from 1863 – 1864, was instrumental in bringing the railroad to Boulder and was named one of the original members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Colorado.

What a fitting beginning for this old house. Welcome to the Boulder project